A digital video recorder (DVR) or personal video recorder (PVR) is a device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive or other medium. The term includes stand-alone set-top boxes and software for personal computers which enables video capture and playback to and from disk or other storage devices.
Digital Video Recording allows content capture for later viewing, but DVR devices currently lack the capability for sophisticated content management. A DVR system provides for multiple members of a family or other group or network of users to record, view, delete, and otherwise manage content recorded on a storage device. An example of such a multi-user DVR network is disclosed in Patent Application Publication US 2010/0272413 which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and included herein by reference.
The capacity of the DVR storage device and the recording mode (quality) determine the number of programs that can simultaneously be stored within the DVR. With multiple viewers having a variety of interests, the DVR storage device can reach capacity very quickly, and as such, managing the deletion of content that has already been viewed, or is no longer of interest becomes imperative. One does not, however, want to inadvertently delete content recorded by another or pending viewing by another interested party.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and methodology for enabling user participation and coordination in managing DVR storage and DVR file retention systems.